US Congress Senate Bill 2557 (Prior Session Legislation)

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Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: Introduced on September 26 2019 - 25% progression, died in committee
Action: 2019-09-26 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Pending: Senate Health, Education, Labor, And Pensions Committee
Text: Latest bill text (Introduced) [PDF]

Revises provisions related to federal financial student aid. Specifically, the bill replaces the expected family contribution metric with a student aid index used to assess a family's financial need and approximate their financial resources to contribute to a student's higher education expenses. The bill also revises the process for filing a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), and it removes certain eligibility requirements related to drug-related offenses and registration with the Selective Service System. The bill reauthorizes the Pell Grant program through FY2021, establishes a new eligibility formula for Pell Grants, and increases the maximum Pell Grant award. The Department of Education (ED) must conduct certain activities to educate students and their families about Pell Grant eligibility at a younger age. In addition, the bill expands Pell Grant eligibility to (1) certain incarcerated individuals; and (2) students enrolled in short-term programs that provide training in high-skill, high-wage, or in-demand industry sectors or occupations. ED must develop a standard terminology and format for financial aid offers, which shall provide certain information such as costs, grant and scholarship aid, annual net price, work-study, loans, and accepting or declining aid. In addition, the bill provides that a borrower on a 10-year standard loan repayment plan shall not be subject to a maximum monthly payment or any other maximum monthly payment. Further, the bill makes funding for historically black colleges and universities and other minority-serving institutions permanent.

Student Aid Improvement Act of 2019

Sen. Lamar Alexander [R-TN]

Date	Chamber	Action
2019-09-26	Senate	Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

HB2321 (Related) 2019-04-12 - Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.
SB888 (Related) 2019-03-27 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
SB2667 (Related) 2019-10-22 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S5970-5972)

Type	Source
Summary	https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/2557/all-info
Text	https://www.congress.gov/116/bills/s2557/BILLS-116s2557is.pdf